Technical field

In general, present invention relates to production of fiber webs. More especially the present invention relates to fiber web production line according to preamble part of the independent production line claim.

Background

As known from the prior art in fiber web producing processes typically comprise an assembly formed by a number of apparatuses arranged consecutively in the process line. A typical production and treatment line comprises a head box, a wire section and a press section as well as a subsequent drying section and a reel-up. The production and treatment line can further comprise other sections and devices for finishing the fiber web, for example a sizer, a coating device and a calender. The production and treatment line also typically comprises at least one slitter-winder for forming customer rolls as well as a roll packaging apparatus. And as known, fiber webs, such as paper or board webs, are manufactured in machines together forming a fiber web manufacturing line, which may be hundreds of meters long.

In fiber web manufacturing lines, manufacturing operates as a continuous process and the process is generally run with constant speed and with constant basis weight, when producing selected fiber web grade. The finished fiber web being output from the machine is wound with a reel-up around a reeling shaft, i.e. a reel spool, into a parent roll (a machine roll), the diameter of which may be more than 5 meters, and which may weigh more than 160 tons. The purpose of the reeling is to transfer the fiber web from its planar manufacturing form into a form in which it can be handled more easily. The reel-up is thus a device that reels a material, which is produced as a continuous fiber web in a fiber web production line, into form of a roll; the parent roll. In the production process of the fiber web, the reeling is generally a first process part, wherein a continuous process is discontinued to be continued in sequences. The parent roll is formed around the reeling shaft that functions as a core of reeling, i.e. the fiber web on one parent roll around one reeling shaft has a beginning and an end.

The web of the parent roll generated during manufacture is full-width and even more than 100 km long, so it must be cut into partial webs of a suitable width and length for customers and wound around cores into “customer rolls” before dispatch from the mill. As known, this slitting and winding of the web takes place in a separate machine fitted to the purpose, i.e., a slitter-winder. In the slitter-winder the parent roll is unwound in the unwinding station off the reeling shaft and the broad web is slit with the slitting section into a number of narrower partial webs, which are wound with the winding section in the winder around winding spools such as cores into customer rolls. When the customer rolls are ready, the slitter-winder is stopped and the rolls, or “set”, is removed from the machine. After this, the process continues with the winding of a new set. These stages are repeated periodically until the fiber web on the parent roll runs out from the reeling shaft, at which point the parent roll is replaced and the operation restarts with the unwinding of a new parent roll from the reeling shaft.

Fiber webs, especially paper and board are available in a wide variety of types and can be divided according to basis weight in two grades: papers with a single ply and a basis weight of 25-300 g/m ² and boards manufactured in one- or multi-ply technology and having a basis weight of 150-600 g/m ² . It should be noted that the borderline between paper and board is flexible since board grades with lightest basis weights are lighter than the heaviest paper grades. Generally speaking, paper is used for printing and board for packaging.

Used paper and board products produced of fiber web are typically delivered by consumers and other users to collecting points, wherefrom the recycled fiber material is transported to plants or like using the recycled fiber material as raw material of their production. Recycled fiber material is used as raw material for example in fiber web production, but it is also known from prior art to produce cellulose insulation material of recycled fiber material i.e. recycled paper and board. For production of the cellulose insulation material the recycled fiber material is transported to production plants producing cellulose insulation material. In production of the cellulose insulation material the recycled fiber material is first shredded and thereafter typically impurities are separated from the shredded, recycled fiber material. It is known, that recycled fiber material often contains all kinds of impurities, for example metallic materials, rock materials, plastic material, that might be harmful in production of cellulose insulation material production and/or in the end product i.e. in the cellulose insulation - thus, it is important to improve the impurities form the recycled fiber material. Sometime the removal of the impurities may require several different devices and/or removal steps. When the impurities have been separated the recycled fiber material is guided to be further shredded, whereafter milling of the shredded, recycled fiber material takes place. During the milling chemicals, for example flame retardants and/or anti-mold agents, are added to the shredded, recycled fiber material and the cellulose insulation material is produced. The cellulose insulation material is packed and thereafter stored and/or transported to building sites for insulating relevant parts of the buildings. As the recycled fiber material is collected typically from the collection points used by various users, quality of the recycled fiber material has a large scale and thus there is also large-scale variation in the produced cellulose insulation material.

In connection with fiber web production broke fiber web there are some typical stages, during which slab fiber web i.e. broke fiber web is generated, for example during threading, during edge-cutting, during grade changes. Sometimes also bottom or top layers of parent rolls may be unsuitable for production and those layers are then broke fiber web. Sometimes also during production quality mistakes may happen, which causes the fiber web produced to be broke fiber web. This broke fiber web generated during production of the fiber web is typically cycled back to the beginning of the fiber web production process to be repulped. For handling of the broke fiber web the fiber web production lines are typically provided with a broke handling system, which comprises typically a pulper/-s, transport means for transporting the broke fiber web, broke openings in the floor of the machine hall for the fiber web production line, through which broke openings the broke fiber web is guided to the transport means to be guided to a pulper for the repulping. In connection with the fiber web production line there may also slabbing station/-s for emptying the broke fiber web from a parent roll. The broke openings are typically provided at least in connection of the reel-up for the broke fiber web generated during threading and in connection with the unwinder of the slitterwinder for the broke fiber web generated during edge cutting. The slabbing station/-s may also be provided with a broke opening or the broke fiber web from the slabbing station/-s is transported to a suitable location in connection with the broke handling system to be further transported to the pulper/-s for the repulping. Some fiber web grades are not well suitable for the repulping in the pulper, thus broke fiber web from fiber web production lines cannot be used in the same fiber web production line.

An object of the invention is to create a fiber web production line, in which the disadvantages and problems of prior art are eliminated or at least minimized.

A particular object of the invention is to create an improved fiber web production line, in which new, alternative ways of broke handling are provided.

Summary

In order to achieve the above mentioned objects, the fiber web production line according to the invention is mainly characterized by the features of the characterizing clause of the independent production line claim. Advantageous embodiments and features are disclosed in the dependent claims.

In this description and in the claims by the expression the dry end of the fiber web production line is meant the part of the fiber web, in which the drying section is located and the sections and devices of the fiber web production line located in process direction after the drying section. The dry end of the fiber web production line typically comprises the drying section and the reel-up as well as optionally sections and devices for finishing the fiber web, for example a sizer, a coating device, a calender and at least one slitter-winder for forming customer rolls. Typically, the dry solids content of the fiber web in the dry end of the fiber web production line is at least 90%, more typically 94-96%.

According to the invention the fiber web production line comprises a dry end, which comprises a drying section and/or a sizer and/or a calender and/or a coating section and/or a reel-up and/or a slitter-winder and/or a slabbing station/-s. wherein the fiber web production line further comprises a cellulose insulation material production section functionally connected to the dry end of the fiber web production line and configured to produce cellulose insulation material from broke fiber web generated in and received from the dry end of the fiber web production line.

According to an advantageous feature of the invention cellulose insulation material production section comprises a shredding part.

According to an advantageous feature of the invention cellulose insulation material production section further comprises a milling part.

According to an advantageous feature of the invention the cellulose insulation material production section further comprises a milling chemicals dosing for providing milling chemicals to the milling part.

According to an advantageous feature of the invention cellulose insulation material production section further comprises a packing part for packing the cellulose insulation material.

According to an advantageous feature of the invention cellulose insulation material production section further comprises a storage for the cellulose insulation material.

According to an advantageous feature of the invention at least part of the broke fiber web generated in dry end of the fiber web production line is transported to the cellulose insulation production section for production of the cellulose insulation material.

According to an advantageous feature of the invention the fiber web production line is provided with transport means configured to operate at least in the area of the dry end of the fiber web production line, and the transport means are configured to transport the broke fiber web to the cellulose insulation material production section for producing cellulose insulation material. According to an advantageous feature of the invention the fiber web production line is located in a machine hall and on a floor of the machine hall and the floor of the machine hall comprises a broke opening/-s located in the dry end of the fiber web production line, through which broke fiber web generated during production of fiber web in the fiber web production line is configured to be guided on a transport means located below the floor, and that the transport means is/are configured to transport the broke fiber web to the cellulose insulation material production section for producing cellulose insulation material.

According to an advantageous feature of the invention the fiber web production line is located in a machine hall and on a floor of the machine hall and the cellulose insulation material production section is located on the same floor level as the fiber web production line.

According to an advantageous feature of the invention broke fiber web generated during threading and/or during edge-cutting and/or during grade changes is transported to the cellulose insulation material production section.

According to an advantageous feature of the invention broke fiber web of bottom or top layers of parent rolls and/or of parent rolls with quality mistakes is transported to the cellulose insulation material production section.

According to an advantageous feature of the invention the broke fiber web comprises container board.

According to an advantageous aspect of the present invention the fiber web production line comprises a cellulose insulation material production section for producing cellulose insulation material. The cellulose insulation material production section is located functionally connected to the fiber web production line either directly connected to the broke handling of the fiber web production line or within the same machine hall building, in which the fiber web production line is located. Thus, broke fiber web from the dry end is guided to the cellulose insulation material production section. The cellulose insulation material is advantageously located in the machine hall for the fiber web production line on the same floor level with the fiber web production line or on a different the floor level than the fiber web production line. More advantageously, the cellulose insulation material production section is located in the basement of the machine hall for the fiber web production line such, that the broke fiber web can be guided though the broke openings in the floor of the machine hall onto transport means to be guided to the beginning of the cellulose insulation material production section to be at first shredded in the shredding part of the cellulose insulation production section. Thus, the repulping in the pulper of dry broke fiber web is not needed, but instead of the dry broke fiber web cellulose insulation material is produced, by which all production of the dry end of the fiber web production line is suitable for trading. This provides for the possibility of also reusing those broke fiber web grades that are not well suitable for repulping.

According to an advantageous aspect of the invention broke handling for repulping purposes is replaced by broke handling for the cellulose insulation material production. Thus, lean production is achieved as the material flow is onwards, not backwards.

According to an advantageous aspect of the invention as raw material for producing the cellulose insulation material is provided from the functionally thereto connected dry end of the fiber web production line, the insulation material production can be started directly after collecting the raw material. But additionally dirt and moist raw materials, such as recycled containerboard grades, is also enabled, since the dirt and moist raw materials can be fed to the fiber web production line, in which they are thoroughly washed in the stock preparation area of the fiber web production line and water is removed in the further processing of the fiber web production line.

In production of the cellulose insulation material the recycled fiber material it is known, that these materials may contain of impurities, that might be harmful in production of the cellulose insulation material and/or in the end product i.e. in the cellulose insulation material - thus, it is important to remove the impurities the material. Sometimes the removal of the impurities may require several different devices and/or removal steps in systems according to prior art. According to an advantageous aspect of the invention the corresponding purification stages are provided in the stock preparation area of board and paper machines. Therefore, the raw material for the cellulose insulation material production has already gone through those stages before it comes out from the fiber web production line at the dry end.

Thus, the invention enables also to use old, corrugated container and other recycled containerboard grades and other paper grades as raw material in the cellulose insulation material production. This raw material is cheap and comparable to waste newsprint raw material. It is known that usage of newsprint is decreasing in future, which means that the amount of waste newsprint is decreasing as well. But amount of waste containerboard is increasing, thus making it possible to increase the cellulose insulation material production, since there is enough raw material available. The broke fiber web from the dry end of the fiber web production line used as the raw material for the cellulose insulation material production has excellent quality in view of the properties required for the cellulose insulation material. The composition, the quality, etc. of the broke fiber web is exactly known, as this information is required in the fiber web production process, which provides for production of the cellulose insulation material of more uniform quality, when compared to production of recycled fiber material directly as the raw material. Thus, the main properties, the thermal insulation capacity, the moisture resistance and the ventilation capacity, of the cellulose insulation material are homogeneous.

Especially, in connection with production of board webs in board web production line it is known that stiffness properties of side edge areas of the board web, in particular of container board webs, are not very good due to drying shrinkage. Also, sometimes the total width of the partial board webs, from which the customer rolls are produced, does not correspond to the width of the board web and thus, a left over partial web is left over, which due to process reasons typically needs to be wound to an extra partial board web roll. In connection with the invention these parts of the board web can directly be used in the production of the cellulose insulation material and instead of waste material a product is achieved.

The invention and its advantageous features make it possible to commercially use all production of the fiber web production line from the drying section onwards. Quality variations or mistakes would not lead to repulping of the produced broke fiber web but instead the cellulose insulation material can be produced. The invention and its advantageous features provide benefits especially in connection with fiber web production lines for those fiber web grades that are not well suitable for repulping or which contain particles and/or compounds that might be harmful, if used after repulping in connection with fiber web production. Additionally, ecological benefits are achieved by the invention as savings are provided in transporting, in processing and in number of needed equipment.

The broke fiber web from the fiber web production line used as the raw material for the cellulose insulation material production has excellent quality in view of the properties required for the cellulose insulation material. The composition, the quality, etc. of the broke fiber web is exactly known, as this information is required in the fiber web production process, which provides for production of the cellulose insulation material of more uniform quality, when compared to production of recycled fiber material as the raw material. Thus, the main properties, the thermal insulation capacity, the moisture resistance and the ventilation capacity, of the cellulose insulation material are homogeneous.

The spaces of the basements of the machine halls of the fiber web production lines are typically utilized only to a small extent, thus the invention provides for utilization of the otherwise non-utilized spaces.

Brief description of the drawings

In the following the invention is explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing to which the invention is not to be narrowly limited.

In figure 1 is shown schematically an advantageous example of a fiber web production line according to the invention.

During the course of the following description like numbers and signs will be used to identify like elements according to the different views which illustrate the invention and its advantageous examples. In the figure some repetitive reference signs have been omitted for clarity reasons.

Detailed description

In figure 1 is very schematically shown an example of a fiber web production line which comprises a forming section comprising a head box 11 and a forming unit 12, a press section 13, a drying section 14, a calender 15, a coating section 16 with drying equipment 17, a reel-up 18, a parent roll storage 19, an unwinding station 21 of a slitter-winder, a slitting section (not shown) of the slitter-winder, a winding section 22 of the slitter-winder and a customer roll storage 23. The fiber web production line may also comprise a sizer with drying equipment (not shown) located after the drying section 14. In the production line there are also guide rolls 10, 20 for guiding and supporting the fiber web W and/or the fabric supporting the web W. The fiber web W is typically supported by fabrics during forming, pressing and drying. The production line also comprises for handling of the broke fiber web a broke handling system, which in the example of the figure comprises broke openings 24 in the floor F of the machine hall for the fiber web production line, through which broke openings 24 the broke fiber web is guided to the transport means 26, for example a conveyor/-s. The fiber web production line also comprises a slabbing station/-s 25 for emptying the broke fiber web, typically from a parent roll, at different locations in connection with the fiber web production line either directly connected to the fiber web production line or within the same industrial building property, for example within the same machine hall building, in which the fiber web production line is located. The fiber web production line 50 also comprises a cellulose insulation material production section 30 for producing cellulose insulation material. The cellulose insulation material production section 30 is located functionally connected to the fiber web production line 50 either directly connected to the broke handling of the fiber web production line or within the same industrial building property, for example within the same machine hall building, in which the fiber web production line is located. The broke fiber web from the dry end 55, from the drying section 14 and/or from the sizer with drying equipment and/or from the calender 15 and/or from the coating section 16 with the drying equipment 17 and/or from the reel-up 18 and/or from the unwinding station 21 of the slitter-winder and/or from slitting section of the slitter-winder and/or from the winding section 22 of the slitterwinder and/or from the slabbing station/-s 25 guided to the cellulose insulation material production section 30. The fiber web production line 50 is provided with transport means 26 configured to operate at least in the area of the dry end 55 of the fiber web, and that the transport means 26 are configured to transport the broke fiber web to the cellulose insulation material production section 30 for producing cellulose insulation material. In the example of the figure the cellulose insulation material production section 30 is located in the basement of the machine hall for the fiber web production line 50 i.e. below the floor F of the machine hall for the fiber web production line 50 such, that the broke fiber web is guided though the broke openings 24 in the floor F of the machine hall onto the transport means 26 to be guided to the beginning of the cellulose insulation material production section 30 to be at first shredded in a shredding part 31 of the cellulose insulation production section 30. The cellulose insulation material production section 30 can also be located on the same floor F level as the fiber web production line. The in the shredding part 31 shredded broke fiber web is then milled in a milling part 32 of the cellulose insulation production section 30, in which milling part 32 milling chemicals from a milling chemicals dosing 33, for example flame retardants and/or anti-mold agents, are added to the shredded, recycled fiber material and the cellulose insulation material is produced. The cellulose insulation material is packed in a packing part 34 of the cellulose insulation production section 30 and thereafter stored in a storage 35 and/or transported to building sites for insulating relevant parts of the buildings.

In the slitter-winder edges of the fiber web are cut by edge cutting means (not shown) located between the unwinder and the slitting section and the edges as broke fiber web are guided through the broke opening 24 onto the transport means 26 and to the cellulose insulation material production section 30.

In the description in the foregoing, although some functions have been described with reference to certain features and examples, those functions may be performable by other features and examples whether described or not. Although features have been described with reference to the certain examples, those features may also be present in other examples whether described or not.

Above only some advantageous examples of the inventions have been described to which examples the invention is not to be narrowly limited and many modifications and alterations are possible within the invention.